Heating feed-water by exhaust-steam



(No Model.)

. W. E. PEARSON.

lHEATING FEBD'WATBR `BY EXHAUST STEAM. No. 332,555.

Patented 1360.15, 1885.

l N. Prrsns, Pmmwhugmpm, wnninmon. ma

lINTTnn STATES PATENT' @Tarea WILLIAM E. PEARSON, OF SAUGUS, MASSACHUSETTS.

HEATING FEED-WATER BY EXHAUST-STEAM.

SPECPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 332,555, dated December l5, 1885.

Application filed April 25, 1885.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. PiraRsoN, of Saugus, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heating Feed- Water by Exhaust-Steam, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an apparatus for utilizing the exhaust-steam of a steam-engine for heating and augmenting the feed-water for the boiler which supplies the engine without creating thebackpressure on the piston of the engine usually caused by the use of the exhaust-steam for feed-water heating.

To this end the invention consists in the combination of a steam-engine, an ejector connected with the exhaust-pipe ofthe engine,so as to receive steam therefrom, a feed-water tank connected at its lower portion with the Water-inlet of the injector and a higher point with the discharge-passage of the injector, so that the passage of the exhaust-steam through the injector will cause continual circulation of water from the tank through the injector and back to the tank, the water being thus heated and augmented or increased in volume by the exhaust steam which is absorbed by the water, and means for preventing an increase of pressure in the tank by the formation of vapor therein, so that there will be no backpressure on the piston in the steam-cylinder of the engine.

The invention also consists in certain other combinations, all of which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

The accompanying drawing, forminga part of this specification, represents an elevation of my improved apparatus.

In the drawing, a represents a steam-boiler, and a the cylinder of a steam-engine and steam-chest, with a portion of the steam-suprlyins pipe,

b represents a tank or receiver situated at a convenient distance from the boiler. Said tank, when the apparatus is supplying water to the boiler, is lled with water to the dotted line b, which I call the workinglevel. A pipe, c, leads from the tank at this point or working-level to a feed-pump, c', and from said feed-pump another pipe, d, leads to a separaten7 d', which is adapted Serial No. 163,432. (No model.)

to separate from the water the grease or oil used in lubricating the steam-cylinder, and carried by the exhaust-steam into the l'eedwater in the supplyiank. Said separator, which will form the subject ot' a separate application for Letters Patent, is composed ot' a vertical cylinder or stand-pipe, through the lower end ot' which the pipe l from the feedpump passes, said pipe extending nearly to the top ot' the stand-pipe. The water entering the stand-pipe through the pipe d ills the annular space surrounding the pipe d, and [lows to the boiler through the pipe c, connnunicating with the lower portion ot' said annular space. The oil in the water accumulates in a glass reservoir, 4, forming a contil'iuation ot' the upper end of the stand-pipe, and may be withdrawn from said reservoir from time to time by means of a cock, 6. The reservoir 4 is considerably higher than the pipe c, so that the oil accumulating in the reservoir cannot pass into the boiler, suitable care being taken to prevent too great an accumulation ot' oil.

e represents a shaft journaled on suitable supports and having at each end a disk provided with wrist-pins, to which are connected rods e2 e3, adapted to reciprocate pistons in the cylindcrsff. Said cylinders and pistons constitute a Vaporpump, hereinafter described, and are operated by power applied to the pulley y on the shaft c. To the shaft e is also affixed an eccentric, g, adapted to operate the feedpump c.

h represents an injector connected with the exhaust-pipe i of the steam-cylinder, and adapted to receive and be operated by the exhaust-steam from the engine c', in a manner hereinafter specified. A pipe, t', leading from the boiler and connected with the injector, enables steam to be supplied from the boiler to operate the injector before the exhaust-steam is suicient in quantity to operate it.

j represents a pipe connected to the waterinlet of the injector and leading to the lower portion of the tank b. Said pipe supplies the water to the'injector when it is in operation. y represents a pipe connecting the discharge or combining cone of the injector with the tank at a point above the point of connection of the pipe j, but below the workinglevel line b. y represents a pipe leading from the upper ICO y for the disposal of the vapor.

portion of the tank Z) and connected to the bottom of the vapor-pump cylinderf. Said pipe is adapted to conduct away the vapor that may be formed in the tank when the water therein becomes heated suiiiciently to cause accumulation of pressure in said tank, as would be the case were not means provided Said vapor passes down the pipe to the vapor-pump cylf inder f', which forces it to the cylinder f, from which it passes into the boiler, as eX- plained hereinafter.

Operation: The boiler is first filled with water to a point slightly above its workinglevel, and the tank is filled to a point below its working-level. Steam is then generated to the required pressure. Y The injector is then put in operation by live steam77 from the boiler through the pipe i', the object being to heat and circulate the water contained in the tank. The engine being started, the exhauststeam passes into and Aoperates the injector through the exhaust-pipe of the steam-cylinder. rlhe operation of the injector draws water from the lower portion of the tank into the injector. Said water mingles with and absorbs the exhaust-steam, and is forced in a heated condition and augmented by the condensation or the absorption of the exhauststeam into the upper portion of the tank b, whereit risesin consequence of such augmentation to the working-level of the tank. Vhen the water reaches this level, it is highly heated, `and is forced to the boiler by the action of the feed-pump. The original filling of the tank to a point below its working-level prevents the feed-water from passing to the boiler until it has been heated and augmented by the steam. The supply of cold water to the boiler is` thus prevented. This operation continues indefinitely, the water being taken from the tank through the pipe y and discharged again into the tank through the injector and the pipe i, the operation causing a continuous circulation of the water in the tank b. The absorption of the exhaust-steam keeps the water in the tank at a high degree of' temperature. The steam from the boiler may be shut off from the injector when the apparatus is well in operation, the force of the exhaust being sufficient to do the work. The separation of the oil from the feed-water by the separator causes the water to pass to the boiler in a cleansed condition, so that it will not vcause incrustation and priming in the boiler, thus overcoming a serious obstacle to the use of exhaust-steam for feed -water. The water-linel of the tank is always maintained at the workinglevel b when the apparatus is in operation, and in case the water becomes heated sut'li ciently to cause a vapor in the space above the working-level, (so as to create a pressure in the tank.) said vapor will pass off through the pipe 1l into the cylinder]c3 of the vapor-pump, and following the piston thereof in its upward stroke will be forced into the cylinderf by the return or downward stroke of the piston in the cylinder f, and from the cylinderf it will be forced by the piston of that cylinder into the pipe s, and into the pipe cl, leading to the boiler. This operation keeps the tank from accumulatingV pressure and avoids back pressure on the steam piston or exhaust of the engine.

It will be observed that the diameter of the vapor-pump cylinderf is of double the area of the cylinder f. I prefer to construct the cylinders in this manner in order to compress thevapor from atmospheric to boiler pressure on small areas.

It will be seen that by the use of the abovedescribed apparatus the introduction of feedwater to a boiler at a temperature of 210 Fahrenheit becomes a simple matter, involving no complicated mechanism, and makes the use of exhaust-steam for heating and boilerfeeding combined perfectly feasible.

I have placed la branch pipe, lo, in the vexhaust-pipe, for use in emergencies, so that in case of derangement of the describe-d apparatus the steam can be exhausted into the atmosphere. A safety valve, n, can also be placed in the top of the tank, to relieve it ofv any pressure that might accumulate by the accidental derangement of the vapor-pumps.

I do not limit myself to the employment of the vapor-pump ff as a means for relieving the pressure in the tank,for such result may be afforded wholly by the safety-valve c, or by other suitable means; or a pump yotherwise 'constructed may be used for the same purpose without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

I claim- 1. The combination of a steam-engine, an injector connected with the exhaust-pipe ot' the engine, and a feed-water tank which is connected, as described, with the inletand.

discharge passages of the injector, so that the passage of the exhauststeam through lthe inj ector will heat and circulate the water in the tank, and means, substantially as described, for relieving pressure in the tank, and thereby preventing back-pressure on the exhaust, as set forth.

2. The combination of a steam-boiler, an engine supplied with steam thereby, la feedwater tank, an injector having a steam-inlet connected with the exhaust-pipe of theengine, its water-inlet connected with the lower portion of the feed-water tank, and its deliverypassage connected with a higher portion of said tank below its working-level, whereby the feed-water is continuously circulated and heated by the exhaust-steam, and a connection, substantially as described, between the tank and boiler, whereby the heated feed-water is supplied to the boiler, as set -forth.

3. The combination of a steam-boiler, an engine supplied with steam thereby., a feed- Water tank connected with the boiler, an injector provided with connections, as described, so as to receive-the exhaust-steam 'from the engine and to draw water from the lower portion and deliver it to the upper portion 0f IOO IIO

the tank, and means, substantially as described, for relieving the tank from pressure caused by the formation of vapor above the working-level of the Water therein, as set forth.

4. rlhe combination of the feed-water tank, the injector connected, as described, with the tank, so as to draw Water from its lower portion and force it into its upper portion, a dis charge-pipe leading from the tank above the point where water from the injector enters, said discharge-pipe being below the top ofthe tank, so as to maintain a vapor-chamber above the Water in the tank, and a pump connected with said chamber, whereby the vapor is withdrawn from said chamber, as set forth.

5. The combination ofthe feed-water tank, the injector, connected, as described, with the tank, so as to maintain circulation of water therein, a discharge-pipe leading from the tank above the point where water from the injector enters, a feed-pump connected with said discharge-pipe, whereby the heated feed-water is forced to the boiler, and a vapor-pump having` a connectionwith the vapor-chamber above the working-level of the tank and another connection with the boiler whereby the vapor forming in the tank is forced to the boiler, as set forth.

6. The combination of the boiler, the feed- Water tank connected, as described, with the boiler, the injector connected, as described, with the tank, so as to heat and circulate the water therein, and means for supplying the injector either with live steam from the boiler or exhauststeam from the engine, as set forth.

7. The combination of the boiler, the feedwater tank connected, as described, with the boiler, the injector connected, as described, with the tank, so as to heat and circulate the Water therein, an engine having its exhaust connected with the injector, and a connection between the boiler and injector, whereby live steam may be supplied to the injector, as set forth.

8. A feed-water circulating and heating` injector having steam inlet or inlets, a Waterinlet, and a dischargepipe without an overfiow, combined with a tank connected at its lower portion with the water-inlet and at a higher point with the dischargc-pipe of the injector, and means,substantially as described, for relieving said tank from pressure, Whereby the continuous operation of the injector is permitted and back-pressure avoided, as set forth.

9. The combination, with the feed -Water tank, of the vapor-pump composed of the larger and smaller cylinders and their pistons and operating mechanism, and means for connecting said pump with the upper portion of the tank above its working-level and with the boiler, as set forth.

10. The combination of the boiler, the engine supplied with steam by the boiler, the feed-water tank connected with the boiler, the injector connected, as described, with the eX- haust of the engine and the feed-Water tank, so as to circulate and heat the Water therein by the exhaust-steam, and a separator whereby the oil mingled with the water by the eX- haust-steani is separated from the Water before it reaches the boiler, as set forth.

In testimony whereof 1 have signed my name t0 this specification, in the presence oftwo subscribing Witnesses, this 23d day of April, 1885.

VILLIAM E. PEARSON.

Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN, A. L. WHITE. 

